NJ Transit Releases Final Report on Study of Light Rail, Bus, Bikeway Upgrades for Princeton ‘Dinky’ Rail Line

Posted on November 30, 2022 by walkableprinceton
Map of proposed new transit routes along and around the Princeton ‘Dinky’ Branch Rail Line

NJ Transit today released a final report from their study of transit alternatives along the Princeton ‘Dinky’ rail corridor. The study, which began in spring of 2021, was intended to identify what the best options are for providing future transit service between Princeton and Princeton Junction. A branch rail line currently runs from Princeton Station to Princeton Junction Station, connecting with main line rail services (link to map). The rail line mostly runs through Princeton University property north and south of the D&R canal and Carnegie Lake.

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Posted in Alternative Transportation, Density, Local, planning, Princeton, Sustainability, Transit | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Princeton Zoning Board Gives Thumbs-Down to Proposed ‘Lincoln Court’ Apartment Plan

Posted on November 28, 2022 by walkableprinceton
Existing site conditions at the proposed ‘Lincolon Court’ development area

A proposal to redevelop a site in downtown Princeton with a mixed-income apartment building appears dead in its current form, after failing to find support from the Princeton Zoning Board of Adjustment. The applicant, RB Homes, had hoped to construct a 3 1/2 story building, with 8 market rate units and two affordable units (“RB Homes Propose 10-Unit Apartment Building at ‘Lincoln Court'”). The Princeton Zoning Board of Adjustment considered the plan at their meeting of November 17, where members of the Board raised many concerns with the project. As it became clear that there was not enough support to get an approval, the applicant’s attorney carried the application to a meeting in January 2023, when a revised proposal may be considered.

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Posted in Affordability, Density, Smart Growth, Sustainability, Zoning | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Princeton Residents Express Strong Desire For Middle-Income Housing In Master Plan ‘Visioning Study’

Posted on November 22, 2022 by walkableprinceton
‘Cottage courts’ like this are one potential form for middle-income housing. Image via cottagecourt.com

The prelimary results of the Princeton Master Plan ‘Visioning Study’ are in, and Princeton residents have identified middle-income housing as one of the key priorities that the town needs to address. Princeton’s Master Plan, which guides all municipal planning efforts, is currently undergoing a full rewrite for the first time since the 1990s. The ‘Visioning Study’ was the key public outreach effort to get feedback about the key themes for the new Master Plan. 896 people responded to the Visioning Study survey, which ran from September 15 – November 7, 2022.

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Posted in Affordability, Community, Density, Placemaking, planning, Princeton, Smart Growth, Zoning | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Princeton Police Issuing Less Than Half As Many Traffic Tickets As Before Pandemic

Posted on November 14, 2022 by walkableprinceton
Electronic signs indicating driver speed are regularly placed on streets in Princeton. But are they effective?

Princeton Police are issuing many fewer traffic tickets, and dramatically fewer speeding tickets, than before the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s the finding of a review by ‘Walkable Princeton’, which raises questions about whether the town and police are doing enough to keep vulnerable road users safe.

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Posted in Biking, Complete Streets, Princeton, Walking | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Important Princeton Master Plan Survey Closes This Sunday

Posted on November 3, 2022 by walkableprinceton
The Princeton Shopping Center mall is a potential development area in the near-future

This Sunday (November 6, 2022) marks an important deadline in the effort to rewrite Princeton’s community Master Plan. That date will be the last chance for Princeton residents to provide input for the ‘Community Visioning Survey’, which will be the most important step in getting the public’s opinions on what the overall goals should be for planning and development in Princeton. The survey is available at the municipal website at:

The survey is anonymous and open to Princeton residents, but also to people who work in town, visit town, or grew up in Princeton. The questions aim to identify broad goals for planning, transportation, and environmental / recreation needs. It takes about 5 – 10 minutes to complete, and each respondent can only take the survey once.

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Posted in Affordability, Alternative Transportation, planning, Princeton | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Judge Throws Out Princeton Planning Board Approval of Humbert Lane Townhomes

Posted on October 19, 2022 by walkableprinceton
Planning approval has been canceled for three townhouses due to be constructed at this site on Humbert Place

A plan to construct three townhomes on Humbert Lane in Princeton appears to be dead after neighbors won a court case challenging its approval by the Princeton Planning Board. The so-called ‘Greenberg et al’ case relates to an application by ‘Simplify Living’ for a 3-unit townhouse development (discussed here). As reported in ‘Walkable Princeton’, neighboring residents were vehemently opposed to the proposal, which involves replacing one two-family home with three townhouses, arranged in a front-to-back split fronting onto Humbert Lane (map). The Planning Board ultimately approved the application, but that approval has now been overturned by the Mercer Superior Court. In addition to making it very hard for the applicant to return with a similar proposal, the ruling is likely to make it harder to build infill developments at many other sites in town.

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Posted in Density, Princeton, Smart Growth, Zoning | Tagged , | 1 Comment

RB Homes Propose 10-Unit Inclusionary Apartment Building On ‘Lincoln Court’ in Downtown Princeton

Posted on September 19, 2022 by walkableprinceton
Rendering of proposed new apartment building on Lincoln Court in Princeton

‘Tap Into Princeton’ reported last night that RB Homes, a local building firm operated by Roman and Daniel Barsky, has submitted an application to build a new apartment building on Lincoln Court in downtown Princeton. Lincoln Court is probably not a well-known address, but it’s the little dead-end street that connects to North Tulane Street, parallel with Spring Street, behind the old Triumph Brewing Co (map). As such, this is an extremely walkable site, mere footsteps from all the jobs and activity of central Princeton. The proposal is for a 10-unit apartment building, of which 2 units would be designated as below-market-rate ‘affordable’ homes.

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Posted in Affordability, architecture, Density, Princeton, Smart Growth, Sustainability, The Parking Question | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

“Fancy Women Bike Ride” Comes To Palmer Square In Princeton, Sunday Sep 18, 2 PM.

Posted on September 15, 2022 by walkableprinceton

A previous ‘Fancy Women Ride’, credit BikeItalia via Copenhagenize

Princeton’s first ever “Fancy Women Bike Ride” will take place this Sunday, September 22, setting off from Palmer Square at 2 p.m. The relaxed, 2-mile route aims to put the focus on women bike riders, and participants are encouraged to dress to impress. It’s not necessary to be all that fancy, however, and men are allowed to ride too (at the back!)

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Renting in Princeton: How Much Should You Expect To Pay in 2022?

Posted on August 18, 2022 by walkableprinceton
Renting this trailer in the Littlebrook neighborhood in Princeton would cost $1,950 / month.

How much should you expect to pay for apartment rentals in Princeton? We took a look through the listings to try to find out what the going rate is for apartments in central Princeton in August 2022.  We last looked at Princeton rental rates two years ago, in August 2020 (link to article).

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Last Chance To Complete Princeton Master Plan Economic Development Survey

Posted on August 15, 2022 by walkableprinceton

Advertisement for Princeton Master Plan Economic Development Survey, July 2022

If you haven’t taken the chance to complete the Princeton Economic Develeopment Survey, you should stop what you’re doing, go to this link (princetonsurvey.org), and fill it out now. This survey is part of the public outreach to rewrite the Princeton community Master Plan, the document that guides all development decisions in town. The Master Plan has not been substantially revised since 1996, therefore this is potentially a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help guide the future of Princeton. However, there are going to be other opportunities in the coming months, which fans of walkable living should be aware of.

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